Davos 2025: Around 80% Indian businesses plan to ramp up AI investment this year

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Approximately 78 percent of Indian businesses plan to ramp up artificial intelligence (AI) investment to ready operations for a year of rapid change in 2025.

"However, that investment is focused on technology rather than people that will have to use it. This highlights the biggest challenge when it comes to unlocking the full potential of Gen AI," according to Accenture's Pulse of Change Survey–WEF 2025. The survey was released in resort town of Davos in Switzerland where the World Economic Forum is holding its annual meeting.

The survey is based on insights from 790 C-suite executives and 687 non-C-suite level employees across 22 industries and 5 countries in Asia-Pacific (Australia, China, India, Japan, and Singapore).

The lack of urgency in addressing talent-related changes can be seen in data from 2,000 Generative AI projects conducted by Accenture, where organisations allocate three times more budget to technology than to people.

About 67 percent of C-suite leaders feel their organisation’s Gen AI development is going faster than expected. India executives’ primary focus on investment in Gen AI is enhancing processes by completing specific tasks or workflows, a metric higher than the executives in other regions.

Though investment is increasing, executives and employees are not on the same page when it comes to the potential value of Gen AI. While 66 percent of C-suite leaders claim they understand the potential value of Gen AI “to a great extent”, only 45 percent of employees say the same.

On whether Gen AI would impact jobs, about 77 percent of employees believe the nascent technology will significantly impact their roles.

As many as 93 percent of C-suite leaders believe people in their organisation have received the training needed to use AI/Gen AI efficiently, 86 percent of employees agree with this sentiment, the report said.

Saurabh Kumar Sahu, managing director and lead for India Business at Accenture believes that it is crucial for Indian businesses to balance their investments in technology with a strong focus on talent development. "By aligning people, processes, and technology, we can create a robust ecosystem that not only enhances operational efficiency but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and innovation. This is the path to staying competitive in a rapidly evolving market."